Tiny Tales
by Valkyrie War Cry
Summary: Tinkerbell once again becomes over-zealous in her attempts to help mortals find happiness. Her latest mishap involves magically regressing both Emma and Snow White to ten year-olds, and somehow Regina is roped into becoming their caretaker for the duration of the spell.
1. Rambunctious at Bedtime

Note: This is going to be a collection of loosely related chapters centered around the scenario mentioned in the summary. The first snippet here doesn't start from the beginning of the incident, and I don't really plan on posting these snapshots in chronological order. Needless to say, Tinkerbell isn't in this chapter, but she definitely will show up in the future (as will David and others.)  
>If you have any scenarios or interactions you would like to see in this fic, I'm open to taking prompts. I am cross-posting this fic on AO3 and tumblr (ouatageregression dot tumblr dot com.)<br>I don't own Once Upon a Time.  
>Thanks for reading!<p>

Rambunctious at Bedtime

Emma must have wandered into Henry's room after brushing her teeth because the two preteens are jostling each other on top of the boy's bed in the midst of a tickle fight. Even though she told the children to do the exact opposite of wind themselves up just before bedtime, Regina abates her irritation for a moment to watch the playful interaction from the hallway. She realizes that she has not seen Emma smile this brightly or laugh as loudly since before her magical de-aging. For once, she looks like a ten year-old girl instead of a brooding, stormy-eyed animal ready to pounce.

Henry topples on top of his mom, tickling her mercilessly over the x-men shirt Emma confiscated from Henry's drawer as sleepwear (she staunchly refused to put on any of the nightgowns Snow preferred, and Regina saw no point in fighting that battle, though Emma's opinion had given Snow another reason to pester the blonde girl. Emma didn't bother to acknowledge the other girl's goodnight before stomping up the stairs to brush her teeth.) Regina notes with renewed irritation that Emma seems to have discarded her pants somewhere in the seven steps between the bathroom and Henry's bedroom, since she is rolling around on their son's bed with her purple cotton underwear clearly on display where her shirt has risen up. Of course, Henry sees no harm in this, but Regina figures she'd better break it up before she makes herself even more uncomfortable with the situation.

"This is not at all what I meant when I told you two to get ready for bed," she admonishes as she walks into the room. She barely pays the children any mind as she crosses the floor to turn on Henry's nightlight, though her peripheral vision picks up the way Emma abruptly stops giggling before hastily shoving Henry off her.

"We're sorry, Mom," Henry says halfheartedly as he settles under the covers.

"Emma, it's time for you to go to your own room. Say goodnight to Henry, and get in bed, please. I'll be in to tuck you in soon," Regina instructs.  
>The girl looks up at Regina beneath a curtain of tangled blonde hair with those big, green eyes that match her mother's, but Emma appears to have no intention of doing as she's told just yet (somehow the Savior was <em>more <em>defiant as a child, much to Regina's bewilderment, since her adult-self seemed to live for pushing the former mayor's buttons.)

Now peering down at Henry's blue sheets, Emma timidly asks, "Can I stay here tonight?"

As much as Regina wants to let Emma shield herself from the hurricane that is Snow White, she realizes it will be best not to let the tension between the two fester. Perhaps rooming the two little girls together will cause more problems than it will solve, but for now they will all have to cope with the mansion's lack of a second guest bedroom. Besides, Henry kicks in his sleep and will no doubt push his mother off the mattress unintentionally during the night.

"No, Emma. You won't get any sleep in here with the two of you fighting for space, and Henry has school in the morning."

She really shouldn't let herself be manipulated into feeling guilty for refusing, but Regina takes one look at the deep frown etched into Emma's features, and the emotion squeezes her heart for a moment.

Instead of backing down, though, she tries to reassure, "Snow won't bother you about your clothing again. Or anything else for that matter." She should have guessed Snow White would be the troublemaker in the little trio tasked to her care.

At Regina's words, Emma snaps her head up, pointing her chin out and glaring slightly at her current guardian.

"You don't know that!" she nearly yells, prompting Regina to raise an eyebrow at the girl.

"Snow knows that any more inconsiderate words will get her into trouble, as do you, young lady. So I suggest you speak to me in a much calmer tone of voice." Reprimanding Emma means always walking a thin line between the girl's many reactions, but the former queen sees no reason to put up with more of Emma's uncurbed tongue after having fought countless verbal battles with her last year. A foolish part of Regina hopes once this spell wears off the adult Emma will remember some of the manners Regina is trying to impart upon her.

"Sorry," Emma mumbles (with minimal petulance before rolling off the bed, barely bothering the pull her shirt down once she is on her feet. Regina accepts the half-assed apology as progress in Emma's recognition of the older woman's authority, since twenty-four hours ago the girl wouldn't talk to her at all.

Never one to be left out of anything, Henry calls out to Emma, asking for a hug, before she can make a semi-dignified escape.

"Goodnight, Emma," he says happily once he feels Emma reciprocate the embrace.

"Goodnight," comes the quiet reply as the blonde pulls away, leaving the boy to snuggle his head fully in the pillow beneath his head as he waits for Regina to properly tuck him into bed.

Emma makes a show of not paying Regina any mind as she exits the room by dragging her feet and exhaling loudly in a slight huff.


	2. The First Night, part 1

Note: I apologize for the wait. In exchange for your patience, this installment is a bit longer than the first. It takes place earlier in the same day.

All mistake are my own, and I do not own Once Upon a Time.

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><p>The First Night<p>

Part 1

Since Henry finished his homework before dinner, Regina lets him take the girls to watch TV while she cleans up the kitchen. Normally, Henry would be expected to help her, but she isn't sure what will happen between Emma and Snow without Henry between them as a buffer.

She turns on the hot water in the sink as she grabs the first plate, rinsing it while keeping an ear out for the conversation coming from the TV room. The din of the television drifts into the kitchen, and Snow, of course, exclaims in surprise at this new wonder.

"Moving pictures! But how do they work?"

"Science, I guess," Henry sounds distracted. He's probably channel flipping until he finds the station that plays cartoons, since he can never remember the number of the network.

"Seems more like magic to me," Snow marvels.

"Shh! I can't hear with you guys talking," Regina hears Emma grumble.

"But Henry is telling me how the tee-vee works, Emma," Snow tries to justify.

"Well, why don't you go somewhere else and ask, huh? Or go talk to Regina about it. I want to watch this show. It looks new, and I haven't seen it before. So, shhhh," Emma's tone sounds irritated and slightly provocative. Regina hears the volume of the television increase after Emma's words, so she assumes the blonde is monopolizing the remote.

Snow must have made a move to head for the kitchen (to pester Regina, no doubt) because Henry suddenly whispers, albeit quite loudly, "No, Snow, don't go in there! She'll make you help with chores!"

The girl sounds confused when she asks him what he means.

"Regina is washing the dishes. If she sees you walk in, she might make you clean the rest of the kitchen," her son elaborates in an overly grave tone.

"It would hardly be appropriate for someone of my standing to do something as base as the washing! Surely my stepmother will be satisfied if I simply join her in the kitchen to keep her company."

A familiar feeling of incredulity springs upon Regina at the spoiled girl's ignorant words. Regina had forgotten how often she felt that emotion when she was in Snow White's presence. She was tempted to march the girl into the kitchen and assign her some menial task just to prove a point, as well as throw some soap in the brat's mouth for good measure, but Regina tampered down her rising anger by scrubbing the next pot with extra vigor.

She tunes out the conversation from that point on. She assumes Henry convinced Snow to stay in the TV room because her prized kitchen is once again spotless within fifteen minutes without any children around to dirty it up again, and the leftovers are tucked away in the refrigerator. Regina stalls for a few more minutes by wiping down the cabinets, as she expects Henry will put up a fight if she instructs him to go bathe in the middle of a program.

At 8:01, she goes into the TV room, scanning for the remote (gearing up for a struggle if Henry is in possession of it) before her eyes land on the black object clutched in Emma's hands. The girl is laying on her stomach much too close to the television, separated from Henry and Snow, who are lounging on the couch several feet back.

"Henry, it's eight o'clock. You need to take a shower and get ready for bed," Regina instructs, using a firm voice from the start.

"Can't I watch one more show? I'll go to bed right after!" the boy tries to bargain. The whine in his voice causes Snow to turn her eyes toward the conversation with rapt curiosity. Regina suspects the girl will see this interaction as a model of how much she might be able to get away with in this new world while under the care of this changed version of her stepmother. If Regina lets Henry continue with his attempts to manipulate her, then Snow will follow suit, and Regina will lose control of her household in the event that two, or even all three, of the preteens living with her decide to gang up on her. She's lived through too much to let three children get the best of her.

Pushing her reluctance aside, Regina summons a bit of the Mayor persona she's kept tucked away, hoping Henry won't react with his classic defiance to the reemergence of a woman he thinks is long-gone.

"I won't tell you twice, young man. You can watch more television on Friday, unless you want to protest more. In that case, you won't watch any TV all weekend."

She can sense his confusion at hearing the steel in her tone, and the only thing she can do in this moment is send him a significant look that hopefully conveys her promise to explain later if he just obeys. This first day with the pint-size versions of his mom and grandmother will set the foundation for the rest of the girls' time in Regina's guardianship—it's just a shame Henry is getting caught in the middle of it all (because hasn't the boy had enough upheavals in his life during the past 18 months?)

It isn't clear whether Henry understands her intentions, but he rolls off the couch anyway and pouts as he makes his way towards the staircase.

Regina carefully watches Snow's reaction out of the corner of her eye, noticing the girl slowly turning away from her stepmother to face the TV again. The young brunette's shoulders straighten ever-so-slightly as she checks her attitude into a well-mannered one, but a tiny hand zips up to her lips as she starts chewing on a fingernail.

The former queen ignores the nasty habit momentarily as she quickly grabs a book from her study before joining Snow on the couch. She's embarrassed to admit that she replaced the book's cover sleeve to mask the parenting advice book underneath. Because suddenly living with three preteens is daunting.

When she glances at Snow and sees the girl still gnawing away at her nails in a fit of nerves, Regina firmly tells her to stop. The princess's hand quickly falls into her lap as she mutters a quick apology, opting to twist a fistful of her shirt between her fingers rather than stay idle. Although Regina makes no further comments about the girl's nervous habits, they irritate her all the same. Whereas in the past, Regina's ability to intimidate Snow White brought the older woman a feeling of success and joy, now it will do neither of them any good to have Snow on edge every time her stepmother sits down next to her.

Pulling her thoughts away from the Snow, Regina turns her attention toward the other princess in the room.

"Emma, please don't sit so close the TV. You'll give yourself a headache," she calls out over the volume of the cartoon on screen.

The girl doesn't even turn around when she answers, "But I can't see if I'm not really close."

"What do you mean, dear?" Regina asks confusedly.

"The screen gets all fuzzy when I'm far away," the girl grouses before going back to ignoring the other occupants in the room.

The wheels turn in Regina's head for a moment, but she eventually realizes Emma is probably near-sighted and needs glasses. That would explain all the squinty faces the blonde had made when she first arrived at the mansion and was taking a look at her new dwelling. Regina merely took it to mean that Emma didn't yet trust her new guardian or the woman's home (and, honestly, Miss Swan had made plenty of strange faces at Regina when the woman was an adult, so Regina discounted this incident along with all the others.)

"Still, Emma, you need to move back from the TV," Regina presses. She just avoided a fight with Henry, but she doesn't foresee this interaction with his birthmother going down that same, easy path.

The girl on the floor ignores her…because when has Emma ever complied with Regina's wishes?

"Emma," she calls with a hint of warning in her tone.

Still no response. Regina's chest bubbles with annoyance.

"Emma Swan, I just gave you an instruction. If you don't back up, I'll just turn the TV off, and then none of us will be able to see it." She hasn't used her reprimanding voice in a long while—Henry had become more cooperative since Regina started letting him stay with Emma some nights during the week.

Surprisingly, Snow is the next one to speak.

"Please, Emma, will you do as she says? I'd like to watch the rest of the program."

Regina congratulates herself for her earlier words to Henry, since they apparently instilled the necessity for compliance in at least one of the girls, and good old peer pressure seems to be working its way to converting the blonde.

But of course she's spoken too soon because she's overlooked the battle of wills going on between Emma and Snow all day. While it had started with minor actions of one getting under the other's skin, it quickly escalated into intentional provocations. And Emma now chooses this moment to make her next move.

Instead of conceding to Regina's instruction and Snow's plea, Emma turns around to smirk at Snow as she scoots _closer_ to the television set, now practically nose-to-nose with the screen.

Regina doesn't hesitate as she stands up from the couch, letting the book fall onto the abandoned cushion, before stalking over to the TV and jamming the power button, and the cartoon disappears in a blip of black. When Regina turns to face the ten year-old on the floor, she notes that the glare being sent her way makes Emma look simultaneously young and old. After all, it's an expression she's seen many times on the Sheriff's face during their heated confrontations.

Matching the look with a hard stare of her own, Regina reaches for Emma and hauls the girl to her sock-covered feet, bending down to the blonde's eye level.

"I am not going to tolerate spiteful behavior from you, _any of you_," she scolds, momentarily sweeping her gaze over Snow (she's got wide, doe-eyes once again, no doubt recalling several unpleasant occasions during which she was in Emma's position) and then continuing, "nor am I going to put up with defiance. When I tell you to do something, you will acknowledge me respectfully and then do as you're told."

Emma's whole body is tense—Regina can feel it where her hand is gripping the girl's arm, which she immediately lets go of once she realizes the tension is born out of fear and unease.

"Go sit on the couch, please," Regina tells her in a softer voice.

"So, what, I just gotta sit here now?" Emma gripes as she throws her body down onto the middle cushion. Her bratty tone indicates she's clearly fishing for a reaction.

"You may sit here quietly or go up to the guest bedroom until it's your turn for a bath."

"Baths are for babies," Emma practically hisses.

"Well, you may take a shower, then. It's no difference to me, but either way, you have two choices, and being horrible to me is not one of them."

Regina would never have the courage to call out her son for emotionally attacking her in the manner Emma currently is, but perhaps her history with the girl makes it possible for Regina to speak up against it. She has never sat back and let Emma antagonize her without returning the favor, so, although she isn't going to intentionally rile up the preteen, she will not alter her feelings about the blonde's rudeness.

Emma roughly pushes herself off the couch and then stomps out of the room. Regina hears loud footsteps on the stairs, followed by the slam of a bedroom door (this irks her more than anything else so far. Aside from her zero-tolerance for locked doors, she is notorious for her anger over doors being slammed in her house, something Henry would be able to speak about at length.)

"She's very angry all the time," Snow observes.

Regina feels pretty damn angry herself at the moment, but she takes a few deep, calming breaths and lets the rage fade away. She recalled the lack of discipline and structure Emma had exhibited upon her arrival in Storybrooke, realizing those attitudes no doubt stemmed from an unstable childhood devoid of acceptable parental figures.

"She comes from a very different situation than you. I imagine she hasn't had very many trustworthy people in her life who were willing to give her proper boundaries," Regina explains, suddenly feeling awash with sadness for the little girl upstairs, who is probably feeling very angry, very insecure, and very alone.

Snow looks thoughtful at these words, and she stays quiet for next few minutes, allowing Regina to pour over the book that's once more in her hands, and she flips to the section with suggestions for quelling preteen rebellion without crushing the child's spirit. Unfortunately, reading the strategies do little to mollify her anxiety about her current living arrangement and the weeks ahead.

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><p>Note: Thank you for reading! There will be another part (possibly more) about the first night in the mansion. After that, I have some more ideas that I will work off of, but if you have any prompts or scenarios you would like to see, please drop a review or message me!<p> 


	3. The First Night, part 2

This is a short update, but I am also working on another chapter for this right now. I promise not to keep you waiting for so long. Thank you for your feedback and support!

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><p>The First Night<p>

Part 2

Surprisingly, it had been easier to convince Emma to bathe than it was to convince Snow. Regina was relieved at least one of the kids disliked walking around with greasy hair. Snow whined and protested all the way upstairs into the bathroom ("But I just bathed only _two days ago!_ Why can't I wait a few more days like always?") Though this world's customs confused the young girl, Snow begrudgingly undressed, too caught up in her failed attempt at getting her way to marvel at the running water filling the tub. Regina left the girl to her own devices once the tub was full of warm water, but not before forcing a promise out of the princess indicating that she would, in fact, wash her hair _twice_ before getting out of the bath.

About twenty minutes later, Regina heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet near her bedroom door before someone knocked three times. She tried to guess which child was outside before she told the person to come in. Snow walked in, a little pink in the face and wrapped in a towel, though she clutched her nightgown in one hand. She stumbled over her words as she tried to explain her inability to dress herself without succumbing fully to her shame. ("I figured out the undergarment, but…the nightgown…I'm not sure how…don't be mad, please.")

Regina felt her face darken in embarrassment, too, since she forgot the princess had never dressed herself a day in her young life. Quickly, so as to spare the girl from becoming more distraught, Regina beckoned her closer ("It's alright, dear. I should have realized…')

Once Snow was fully dressed for bed, Regina found herself falling into an old routine. She sent Snow to retrieve a comb, and promptly spent the next ten minutes towel-drying and combing the girl's dark, wet hair.

On her way to the guest bedroom, Snow grabbed her stepmother's hand, yet Regina didn't contest the touch until they reached their destination. Snow watched her stepmother pull back the covers of the bed before clambering in between the sheets.

After wiggling around for a bit, Snow settled and wished Regina a good night.

Something in Regina twinged (with loss? Or with warmth?) at how clear and innocent Snow's eyes look as they peered up at her through her sleepy veneer. Before giving herself time to think about her next action, the woman reached her fingers out to brush the hair away from Snow's forehead.

"Fresh dreams, Snow," she said with a small smile. "I'll tell Emma to be quiet when she comes in after bathing."

She flipped the lights out before closing the door until it was just a crack open (how Snow preferred it) and heading into the hallway.

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><p>If you want to send me a prompt, review or PM me. You could also submit it to the tumblr for this 'verse: ouatageregression<p> 


	4. Clothes from the Nuns

Clothes from the "Nuns"

It's just their luck that this _little _incident happens in the dead of winter. The girls have no clothes to speak of, and Regina fears the future consequences of taking Emma's and Snow's wardrobes (horrible though they are) and transfiguring them into children's sizes. Instead, she piles the girls, who are wrapped in blankets, into the backseat of the Mercedes (she's terrified to allow Henry to sit in the front seat, but they have no choice today.) After dropping her son off at the school, Regina speeds to the convent and somehow keeps the snarl from her face as Tinkerbell comes out to greet and usher them in from the snow that is now swirling down from the sky.

Mother Superior doesn't even bother hiding her disdain for the Evil Queen as the group approaches her office. Before the Blue Fairy greets the children, she off-handedly comments on her distrust of placing two more small children under Regina's care—to which Regina responds that the lead fairy should have kept a better eye on her own charges if she hadn't wanted these inconveniences to occur. Tinkerbell's face darkens to a satisfying crimson at those words, but she wisely chooses to stay silent.

When the Blue Fairy turns to address the children, they all notice how both girls are practically clinging to Regina's shadow. The queen notes to herself that the fairies aren't the only ones in the room with trust issues.

Snow is conflicted by the sight of Blue, considering that the little girl's last memory of her involved a serious test to her moral code. Her imaginative mind runs away from her as she contemplates whether her stepmother brought her here because she somehow found out about that night in the forest. Does Regina think her soul is now tainted by the touch of dark magic? Maybe the Blue Fairy decided Snow made the wrong choice, and now she wants to curse her or punish her in some way?

After several failed attempts to verbally coax the pair of princesses out of their hiding spot, Regina reaches around and shepherd them to stand in front of her.

"Come on, girls, you know Tinkerbell. She's the one who brought you safely to me the day you were both wandering in the woods." Her tone is smooth and reassuring, yet she doesn't remove her hands from their protective places on the girls' shoulders.

"But we don't know who she is," Emma says as she points to Blue.

"Emma, don't point. It's rude."

At Regina's quick reprimand, Emma lowers her hand but does not apologize. This time, Regina wants to praise the girl for having such infallible instincts.

The Blue Fairy introduces herself as Mother Superior (and poor Snow is still too worried to question the change in moniker.) The way the fairy looms over the children reminds Regina of how Maleficent looked while holding the poisoned spinning needle used to curse Aurora, and it sends a tingle of alarm crawling down Regina's spine.

"I heard that you two just arrived in town, and, here at the convent, we have a few things to help you," Blue explained.

Emma twists around to gaze at Regina with panicky eyes.

"What's going on? I thought we were staying with you! I'm still staying at your house, right, Regina?" Emma's rushed words seem to take all the air out of her little lungs.

"Yes, Emma, you're still coming back to my house. The nuns were kind enough to find some clothing for you and Snow to have, that's all, dear."

Immediately, Emma relaxes.

"Ok, good."

"Girls, don't you think it would be nice to thank Mother Superior for her help?" Regina hints, though her voice is tight. As much as she doesn't want to kiss the ass of one of her magical adversaries, Regina realizes the Blue Fairy and Tinkerbell really saved her a lot of trouble.

Snow finally speaks up, saying, "Yes, I greatly appreciate your efforts. It is very thoughtful." Something about the girl's tone makes Regina question the girl's sincerity. This may be the first time in both their lives that their attitudes toward a person align.

At this point, Tinkerbell flourishes a tape measure and merrily goes to work with it on the children in front of her.

"Don't look so smug, Tinkerbell. You've yet to apologize for what you've done," Regina comments.

"That's because I'm not sorry. You'll be thanking me sooner or later," the blonde fairy quips without looking up from measuring Snow's arms.

"Then you're going to be waiting an awfully long time, dear."

Soon enough, the two fairies disappear to "fetch the clothes" (magic them into existence, is more like it, though), leaving Regina feeling like the one who is waiting an awfully long time—to leave this stressful, upsetting building filled with people and beings she wishes to avoid for the rest of eternity.

"No pink stuff, right?" Emma pipes up, reintroducing a topic of debate from earlier that morning. The girl had protested vehemently against wrapping herself in an afghan that had swatches of pink fabric throughout its pattern.

"We'll see, Emma."

"But you said I wouldn't have to wear anything pink!"

Regina isn't too keen on rehashing the entire conflict—in public, no less—so she responds in a rather political manner, drawing on phrases that she used to whip out to quiet dissidents among the Storybrooke constituents.  
>"I said I would do my best to get clothes that aren't pink, but I can't promise you anything."<p>

"You don't like pink? It's such a lovely color, though. I have…had I guess…a wonderful pink gown with bows all over the bodice and floral patterns in lace all down the back! Oh, I wish you could have seen it! That would surely change your mind." Snow's rambles are about as unwelcome as Regina's apple pies at group functions, but the young girl only stops when Emma interrupts her.

"I don't care."

Regina's eyes widen in surprise at the girl's surly tone, and she's quick to reprimand her for being rude.

"You're a mean girl," Snow says in a tone filled with sorrow.

"Well, you're annoying, so…" Emma cuts herself off when she catches Regina's glare.

The fairies return a few moments later, arms laden with clothing.

Regina stands back, keeping an eye on the scene in front of her. Snow bounces forward to sift through the dresses, shirts, pants, and coats, and Emma approaches the pile cautiously, picking up a shirt or two with disinterest. A look of relief washes over the little blonde when she pulls a gray winter coat out of the heap.

Upon finding a similar coat in purple, Emma hands it to Snow.

"Here."

Snow look up at Emma with a smile before thanking her and handing her a red t-shirt.

"Do you like red?" she asks.

"Yeah, red is awesome!"

Snow clearly looks a bit puzzled by this answer, since her art lessons clued her into the fact that red and pink are in the same color family, but she doesn't comment other than to agree with Emma.

As the two girls break the ice between them, Regina gives a nod of thanks toward the fairies, who then disappear out into the corridor, leaving the three females to gather up the rest of the clothes to take back to the mansion.


End file.
